Fireflies and Butterflies

This is a story of when I was still a young child

On our trip home from somewhere far south

The road was unlit, and the night's breeze were still fresh

A sight so beautiful, I know I will never forget

I can still remember that time when I was with my cousins

At the back of our truck making all sorts of jokes and stories

When we saw tiny lights defeating the dark

A thousand fireflies making their home up above

Going years back, in our own little yard

I am a lot younger and a lot excited about the world

How small things around me could mean a lot bigger

Like that moment when a butterfly settles on a flower

And what do I find common in the life of these bugs?

Is how beautiful they are, and delicate at the same time

Trap them in a jar and enjoy their beauty

Or should I decide to let them live their lives and let them go free?

Going back to those years, I remember so clearly

I just watched afar, enjoying the scenery

I may have once or twice tried to trap them in a bottle of some sort

But that I will never do anymore, 'til the day I grow old

Now when I am grown, and these sound like kid's talk

I've still seen my own share of fireflies and butterflies in my everyday's walk

The same question I struggle to answer, should I stop them from going?

But I know what the right thing is, that is to let them keep on growing

Background:

It was last 2008 when I first wanted to write about a friend I met, and how our meeting was as short as a life of a butterfly. To tell you more, this was inspired by someone who was a grandson of one of the greatest presidents (in my opinion) of the Philippines, who lived a life in exile. We were classmates for a single term, and that friend of mine had to go back outside the country to continue his studies. I had a choice, whether to keep that butterfly in a jar and let it die, or set it free and let it live its life to the fullest. The same goes in real life, there are wonderful people that we can meet. Should we keep them from going their way and stop their journey and be selfish?

5 years later, this 2013, I met someone much like the first (note to self to refer to the date this was posted). And the meeting was as awesome when I first saw fireflies. And the same question rings in my head-whether to keep it in my jar and let it die quickly, or let it go with the others of its kind and allow me to watch them from afar.

I am not a biologist, but I know that the life of these bugs are very short, as they are fragile. In contrast to them, I have a full life ahead of me, and I must focus on that.

This writing is about letting go. Is this an easy thing to do? I bet it is not. It is needless to say that it is the right thing. Writing this now (and finally, after 5 years!) helped me settle on what is the right thing to do. I myself know how hard it is to do this, but I feel better now. Who knows, I can be in my own shell at the moment, waiting to grow out of it, right? Letting to of others can also mean letting myself move forward.

Symbolisms used:

1. Butterfly - Colourful, flight, short life, maturity

2. Firefly - light, nighttime, cigarettes, short life, innocence

*In reference to their equivalent qualities in real human life

PS

This music/video reflects this post a bit. Not sure if you will enjoy it, but I definitely like the song.

References:

http://pinterest.com/pin/177821885256892290/

http://www.firefly.org/

http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/alli-worthington-this-is-alli/2012/06/11/summer-magic-catching-fireflies-junebugs-on-a-string-widdle-wobsters/#fireflies

Sometimes, You Just Have to Try to Let Go

I'm supposed to be talking about something else like how I'm irritated with Mac's Yahoo! Messenger's lack of a Group Messaging feature, or if it's just my ignorance. Or, I'm supposed to pen into poetry a wonderful thought that sparked in my head. But instead of doing those things that I "should have" done, I ended up writing my two previous blogs. What's happening?

But, maybe sometimes you just have to try to really let things go, even if they seem really good to do. Those feel-gooders can be the reason for you to be stressed. It can also not be good on you.

This moment makes me remember the times when I was writing for my personal blogs, that usually my dad asks me what I'm doing on the computer. It's because I usually write during late hours. I also remember how I couldn't answer directly that "I'm writing to my blogs" because of the feeling of it being a 'personal' matter to not talk about or detail on it. Now I feel like I understand why he asks me like that. He's just helping me from being too compulsive and too attached at something.

Should I have insisted on continuing to write down the thought that I had into poetry, I'd have been more compulsive. Or, if I kept on going with being pissed off at Mac's Yahoo! Messenger not having the Group Message feature, I'll be keeping on looking for the solution on the net if there really is such a feature and stay up all night, or be frustrated for proving myself right that it actually doesn't have that feat.

I should learn how to control my urges and my desires. Not all things that seem wonderful to me should be done right away, and in some instances, not done at all. Right now, I can only wish that I can be able to stick up to the words that I am saying. Because I feel that I still haven't done so.